Stafford planning approval rate
Stafford council approved 84.5% of planning applications and refused 15.5%, based on 4,619 decisions analysed. Ranked 47th out of 300 councils for strictness.
Last updated: August 2026 · Based on decisions from January 2020 to August 2026
84.5%
overall approval rate
4,619
Decisions analysed
3,904
Approved
715
Refused
23
Wards covered
Planning in Stafford? Check your postcode to see approval rates specific to your ward and street.
Approval rate by application type
Different application types have different approval rates in Stafford. Householder and full planning applications typically have the highest volume.
85.5%
91.2%
77.9%
69.7%
90.1%
83.1%
83.6%
Approval rate by project type
These rates are based on what homeowners are actually building in Stafford, mined from 4,619 proposal descriptions.
88.5%
82.3%
87.7%
83.8%
81.4%
73.0%
91.5%
80.0%
90.6%
91.2%
85.3%
77.1%
94.4%
80.0%
Approval rate by ward
Planning outcomes vary significantly by ward within Stafford. Click any ward for detailed statistics.
Eccleshall
84.0%
Milwich
84.6%
Swynnerton And Oulton
85.1%
Seighford And Church Eaton
83.0%
Gnosall And Woodseaves
82.5%
St Michaels And Stonefield
87.5%
Haywood And Hixon
82.7%
Forebridge
83.3%
Fulford
82.8%
Milford
88.6%
Weeping Cross And Wildwood
85.7%
Baswich
85.1%
Barlaston
84.7%
Walton
89.1%
Rowley
85.4%
Manor
81.5%
Holmcroft
87.4%
Littleworth
82.8%
Common
80.2%
Coton
87.8%
Wards in Stafford
Eccleshall
84.0% approval · 494 decisions
Milwich
84.6% approval · 475 decisions
Swynnerton And Oulton
85.1% approval · 424 decisions
Seighford And Church Eaton
83.0% approval · 371 decisions
Gnosall And Woodseaves
82.5% approval · 309 decisions
St Michaels And Stonefield
87.5% approval · 287 decisions
Haywood And Hixon
82.7% approval · 278 decisions
Forebridge
83.3% approval · 245 decisions
Fulford
82.8% approval · 221 decisions
Milford
88.6% approval · 176 decisions
Weeping Cross And Wildwood
85.7% approval · 154 decisions
Baswich
85.1% approval · 141 decisions
Barlaston
84.7% approval · 131 decisions
Walton
89.1% approval · 128 decisions
Rowley
85.4% approval · 123 decisions
Manor
81.5% approval · 119 decisions
Holmcroft
87.4% approval · 111 decisions
Littleworth
82.8% approval · 87 decisions
Common
80.2% approval · 86 decisions
Coton
87.8% approval · 82 decisions
Recent comparable decisions
The most recent residential planning decisions in Stafford, showing how the council decides real applications.
Two storey side extension · Gnosall And Woodseaves · Fri 14 Aug 2026
Two storey side extension and rebuilding of rear extension with pitched roof · Gnosall And Woodseaves · Fri 14 Aug 2026
Erection of agricultural storage building with concrete apron · Gnosall And Woodseaves · Fri 14 Aug 2026
Showing 3 recent comparable decisions. See more in the full report →
What gets approved near your property?
In Stafford, 1 in 6 applications are refused. Your PlanningLens Full Planning Analysis gives you 17 pages of intelligence specific to your property:
✓ Ward-level approval rates for your exact area
✓ Common refusal reasons in Stafford
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free planning check for Stafford →
✓ Common refusal reasons in Stafford
✓ Your 10 nearest comparable planning decisions
✓ Appeal success rates
✓ PDF report to share with your architect
Free. Based on 4,619 decisions.
Compare with nearby councils
Frequently asked questions about planning in Stafford
What is the planning approval rate in Stafford?
Based on 4,619 planning decisions analysed since 2020, Stafford approved 84.5% of applications and refused 15.5%. The council is ranked 47th out of 300 UK councils for approval rate.
How many planning applications are refused in Stafford?
Stafford refuses 15.5% of planning applications, roughly 1 in 6. That is higher than the UK average of 11.4%. Out of 4,619 decided applications since 2020, 715 were refused. PlanningLens lets you check any postcode to see which applications were refused near a specific property.
Which areas of Stafford have the highest planning approval rates?
The highest approval rates in Stafford are in Walton (89.1%), Milford (88.6%), and Coton (87.8%). Approval rates vary significantly by ward, see the full ward breakdown above.
What types of planning application are most common in Stafford?
The most common planning application types in Stafford are: Full (2,658 decisions, 85.5% approved), Trees (679, 91.2%), and Certificate of Lawfulness (426, 77.0%).
How long does a planning application take in Stafford?
Planning applications in Stafford take an average of 19.1 weeks to reach a decision, measured across 4,508 decisions with a recorded timeline. That is slower than the 8-week statutory target for householder applications (the statutory targets are 8 weeks for householder applications and 13 weeks for major developments). PlanningLens measures the actual time each application takes, not just the target. Stafford decides approximately 770 planning applications per year.
How do I check planning applications in Stafford?
You can search planning applications in Stafford directly on the council's official planning portal. PlanningLens also lets you check any postcode against 4,619 historical decisions in Stafford to see what's been approved and refused near a specific property.
How is PlanningLens approval rate data for Stafford calculated?
PlanningLens scrapes Stafford's official planning portal and analyses every published decision since January 2020. The approval rate is calculated as approved decisions divided by total decided applications, excluding withdrawn and pending applications. The full methodology, data sourcing, and Creative Commons BY 4.0 licensing terms are published at planninglens.co.uk/methodology.